In private (Interview): Lee Garbett on Batgirl

Lee Garbett: Comics were and are my first love. I’ve worked in the design industry for a long time, as a graphic designer and concept artist, both of which I enjoy immensely but nothing really makes me as happy as comics. When I decided to send some work off to an indie publisher and got a mini series I jumped at the chance, even though it meant a massive pay drop from my previous job.

Lex: How do you usually work with a script writer?

Lee Garbett: To be honest it’s a very work like situation in a way. I get a new script from the writer via my Editor. Although I do communicate with the writers on a friend basis any official alterations always need to go through the Editor.

Lee Garbett: I stopped at issue 3 as the money was so poor – not unusual for Indie press – and I got a better paid gig at 2000AD. AP (AAM- Markosia Press) let me go with the best wishes and we still get on well. There was no ill feeling. I’d got a wife and baby to support and I simply had to go where the money was. That and of course the chance to work at 2000AD was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Lee Garbett: I looked for a new Editor joining a company, as I had always done when I was working in freelance editorial magazines etc. I noticed Scott Peterson had moved from DC to their Imprint WildStorm. I loved WildStorm’s stuff and knew Scott had a great pedigree so I sent him some pages from the Judge Dredd stuff I was doing for The Megazine. It turned out that he was looking for an artist for The Highwaymen and they were’nt having much luck so it was just great, accidental timing.

Lee Garbett: I still do Tee graphics now and again but my main focus is on Comics really. I’d love to do more Concept art if time allows. Ideally for Movies and TV as well as Games but at the moment Comics are taking up the large part of my workload.

Lee Garbett: I was working on DreamWar for WildStorm which featured a lot of the DC characters and I’d come to the attention of Dan Didio and various ed’s over in New York. I spoke to Mike Marts at the Bat-Offices and he put me on the Final Crisis BATMAN tie-in ‘Last Rites’ with Grant Morrison. That was an amazing thing, to be doing that book with one of my all time heroes in comics.

Lee Garbett: As my past job was as a concept artist, specializing in figures I relish the chance to redesign a costume. With Katana I wanted to get some armour into the outfit, to hint at the Samurai. I think I’d been inspired by Zealot who I’d literally just drawn in the DC/WS crossover. Designing Batgirl was a little more daunting as it was going to be part of this amazing relaunch with a new character under the mask. I had a few ideas going in, how I felt that, as much as I loved the Cassandra costume from the previous Batgirl I always thought the general public wouldn’t know who she was. I wanted to get some of the classic Batgirl back and DC felt exactly the same. The only guideline they gave me was to try and ref’ Stephanie Brown’s SPOILER costume a bit with the purple and the leg-belt. I drew up a couple of ideas and had more to come but DC loved the first one so much they went with that straight away. I sorta wished I’d had more time to work on other ideas cos as I say, I love to redesign stuff.

Lee Garbett: Not really, I was more worried about the timings of the book as it was already solicited before I came on board so there was a ton of work to be done or we’d miss shipping. I didn’t realise Steph’ was so polarizing with the readers either, until I started seeing some of the posts on boards about her. I always thought she was great. I think there are some fans that have come round to her as Batgirl, some who prefer it and some who will never accept anyone but Barbera. I tend not to worry about that side of things because I can’t control it. All I can do is get my script and start to draw it and concentrate on making each issue better than the last.

Lex: A lot of people are saying (and so do I) that you do a great job on facial expression. How do you work on that?

Lee Garbett: That’s really great to hear, thank you. I don’t know if that’s true but it’s definitely something I work on and enjoy. Sometimes it’s great to smash a character through a wall but the really fun part is making the characters act and feel. That’s my favorite part really. I still have a long way to go in my mind but I’m really pleased it’s getting noticed a bit.

Lee Garbett: The book is ongoing and Steph is the new Batgirl. I hope she’ll stick around for a long, long time as I think there’s a lot of room for her to grow and there’s a lot of room for someone with her heart in Gotham. She’s a fantastic character in her own right and a great foil for other Gothamites. The book is sheer fun and I think most people are getting that vibe.

Lee Garbett: Working with Bryan is brilliant. He’s so enthusiastic and such a huge comics fan like myself. Also he’s very new to comics and I’ve only been doing it for a few years and this is only my second year at DC so we’re both still learning along the way.

We do have some say on colors and inks etc. but as I mentioned before a lot of the time the book is getting to the late stage and we need to get it out. That’s one of the reasons we’ve had so many inkers, the book has to be split between people to get it in. Not because anyone is slow, I average a page a day, 5 days a week but because it’s always been a tight schedule. Luckily for me all the inkers I’ve had have been A-listers and have each brought a great style to the work. Same with Guy who does a fantastic job on the colors each month.

Lex: Now you’ve worked on several successful series, do you choose the stories on which you want to work? If yes what are your criteria?

Lee Garbett: I’m still new to comics as a professional, even newer to DC comics so to most of the readers they’re only just hearing my name, or haven’t heard it at all. I’ve been offered some fantastic projects and my trajectory so far has been amazing in such a short time. I’m really appreciative of that. I’ve never had to weigh up options so far as each project has been higher profile and with people I really want to work with.

Going forward there are definitely some characters I’d like to get my hands on from both DC and Marvel and some Writers I’d love to work with but I don’t like to discuss that publicly because it precludes others and I’m very happy where I am.

Lee Garbett: Yep, Deadlines are a problem when you join any project but especially when the project is solicited. Ideally you want 4 months lead time where you’re working on issue 5 when issue 1 hits the stands. That’s a bit of a luxury but Batgirl has been tight. I’ve managed to hit my deadlines but for my own sanity and poor old hand I’ve had to get a fill-in every third book to make sure I can get a foothold on the next arc.

Lee Garbett: I’m working on Batgirl at the moment of course and looking forward to getting the script from Grant Morrison for The Return of Bruce Wayne #6. The final installment where Bruce becomes BATMAN again. That will be the biggest project I’ve worked on to date and I’m dying to get started on it.

After that I’m not sure what the plans are. Something else may be in the wings but nothing is definite. We’ll have to see.